SORRY MY LOVE
by NiteJasmine
Summary: Horatio loves Cassandra Cordell. But now it appears she is involved in a murder. Has she just been playing him? Takes place way before "Whispers," developing this Cassie character & storyline further. Rated M for steamy content in future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**SORRY MY LOVE**

**A CSI Miami FanFic**

**By NiteJasmine**

**Horatio loves Cassandra Cordell. But now she appears to be involved in a murder case. Has she just been playing him? **

**This takes place way before my other story "Whispers." That was only going to be a one-shot, but this Cassie character & storyline just wouldn't leave me alone… so… here we go…**

**Some of the chapters are kinda short... Rated M for the inevitable sexual content…**

**I don't own any characters from CSI Miami, I just borrow them on occasion…**

Horatio couldn't believe his eyes. He felt as if someone had just punched him in the stomach. This just could not be true. But, as the familiar saying goes among CSIs, the evidence doesn't lie.

They had a murder suspect, Daniel Trivito, whom they were certain was the killer, now they just had to prove it. Eric had run the guy's cell phone records, and three calls had been made to one particular number, right here in Miami, the day of the murder. Then nothing. The phone had not been used since. But it was a very, very familiar number to Horatio Caine… The number belonged to his girlfriend, Cassandra Cordell. The woman who had quickly become the love of his life. He didn't want to believe it. His Cassie… showing up linked to a murderer?

"I'll run that number through the database…" Eric began, but Horatio cut him off. "That won't be necessary, Eric, that number… belongs to Cassandra Cordell."

"H," Eric said haltingly, trying to absorb the impact of this discovery, "that can't be right."

But he knew the data was pure cold black and white, staring them in the face. Both men fell quiet as they stared at the monitor's display. Eric finally broke the long awkward silence.

"No, H," he said adamantly. "Come on. There's no way Cassie is involved in any kind of murder, and I can't believe she would have anything to do with this loser."

Horatio had to make a concerted effort to push down his rising swell of emotions, and the large knot that was forming in the pit of his stomach. He quickly threw up his internal walls, and assumed the cool, well-armored thick skin of a CSI Lieutenant. There was a case to solve, a victim to be vindicated, and a murderer to catch. And this was a viable lead. A lead that had to be followed, regardless of where it may end up taking him.

"Well, Eric," Horatio spoke in his reserved, even tone, "then why the hell is her name showing up on his cell phone?"

Eric didn't have an answer.

"She needs to be questioned." Horatio said flatly, and Eric watched in silence as Horatio quickly turned and strode from the room.

Horatio tried to quell the torrent of conflicting emotions churning within him. He had been hurt so many times, and in so many ways, by the few women that he had ever allowed himself to give his heart to. Before he met Cassie, he had convinced himself that he would spend the rest of his life alone.

But then he met the tall, lovely brunette businesswoman at a local fundraiser, and fate had stepped in. Within a very short amount of time, he had found himself deeply in love with her. And over the past several months, their relationship had grown and matured into a trusting and loving bond. Or so he had thought…

And now this… this discovery began to make him doubt himself and his own judgment, which made him intensely angry. Could Cassie be just another painful mistake? He didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to feel the devastation or betrayal or heartbreak.

But he had to find the truth. So, with his suspicious nature running full tilt and all his armor-plated safeguards swung tightly into place, he walked quickly to the main lobby, snapped his cell phone open, and dialed her number.


	2. Chapter 2

***** Chapter 2

Cassie eased her bright red BMW into a parking spot in front of the station and, with a light chirp she clicked on the alarm and walked inside. She found Horatio Caine waiting for her.

"Hey, hi love," she said warmly, and walked towards him, expecting to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "What's up? You sounded so serious on the phone."

He stood his ground, his hands on his hips. And his stoic look stopped her short.

"How do you know Daniel Trivito?" He demanded.

Cassie gave him a confused look. "Who?" She asked.

"Daniel Trivito, you had three conversations with him two days ago, just before he murdered someone," Horatio said evenly. "And I want to know what you two talked about and how you know him." He leveled a glacial stare at her.

"Murder? What? I'm sorry Horatio, I have no idea what you're talking about," Cassie offered, growing even more confused. "I don't know anyone by that name. And I do run a business, do you know how many calls I get every day?" His intensity was unnerving. She had never seen this side of the man she loved. She had never been frightened of him… But this was different. He looked absolutely predatory.

"We have his phone records, and your number is right there," the Lieutenant said, cutting off her thoughts. "Three calls, three conversations you had with a killer. And I need to know about that, right now," he paused for a moment and studied her. And even though he could see the genuine bewilderment on her face, he pushed harder.

"And don't lie to me." He added flatly.

But as soon as those words left his lips, he immediately regretted them.

His statement hit Cassie like it was a physical slap in the face. He saw the sharp flash of anger in her eyes, and the wounded look.

She closed the small bit of distance that was between them, and looked him straight in the eye.

"Lie to you?" She said, struggling to keep her voice even. "I can't believe you just said that. Lie to you? I _love_ you. And I have _NEVER_ lied to you, Horatio. And I never will." She stared him down for a few seconds, then backed away. She needed to get out of here, get away from this insane interrogation that she knew nothing about.

"Whatever it is you think I've done, you're wrong." She took a few more steps back. "I'm not a liar. I'm not a criminal. And I can't believe you would ever think that I was."

"I just need to get to the truth…" Horatio started, but she cut him off sharply.

"I've never given you anything _but_ the truth!" She yelled, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. "I've never had anything to hide… not from you. I've shared everything with you… my body, my heart, my soul…" The tears began to spill over. "I trusted you…" she trailed off.

"And maybe that was my biggest mistake," she said, unable to hide the deep hurt of her heart breaking.

"So go do your job, Lieutenant Caine," she said curtly, her hands starting to tremble. "That's apparently all you really care about."

Horatio watched in silence as she turned and marched to her car and pulled away, the squealing tires leaving black streaks on the pavement.


	3. Chapter 3

*****Chapter 3

Calleigh met up with Eric shortly after Horatio had confronted Cassie, causing quite the scene in the station lobby. They couldn't believe that she was involved in any kind of crime, but again, the evidence was saying she was. And they owed it to their boss to dig as deep as they had to go to uncover the truth.

"OK," she said, "let's go over what we have again. Everything, from the top."

They laid out every item and file from the case onto two large tables, and began to go over it all again, piece by piece.

A short while later, Eric came across one of Daniel Trivito's business cards, the small print under his name said "A/P Mechanic." Which meant he was licensed to work on airplanes.

"Hey, Cal," he said quietly, "not sure, but this may be something." He showed her the card.

"Wait, doesn't Cassie run an aircraft parts and supply business?" She gave Eric a worried look. He nodded. She sighed heavily.

"We better tell H," Eric said, even though he did not want to make that call.

"Before we do that, let's see if we can track down where Daniel was working," Calleigh offered.

"Yeah, Eric readily agreed, "good idea."

Finally, it was Calleigh who made the call to Horatio. She informed him that Daniel had been working at an aircraft maintenance shop at the Dade County Airport.

Fifteen minutes later, Horatio's silver Hummer was pulling up in front of the shop, and Frank Turco's car pulled in right behind him. The two men walked into the large hanger, where there were several airplanes, all in various states of repair.

"I'm looking for the owner," Horatio called out. A stocky looking man pulled himself out from under a partially dis-assembled wing, and walked over to them.

"That'd be me," he said, wiping his hands off on a rag. "Glenn DeMarco." He noted their badges, and added, "What can I do for you?"

"Daniel Trivito," Horatio said simply.

"No longer works here," Glenn told him quickly. "He was only here for about 2 weeks. Seemed like an OK guy, did decent work. But I caught him trying to steal some of my power tools, so I fired him on the spot. That was…um… yeah. That was two days ago. Haven't seen him since."

"Do you have an address for him, Mr. DeMarco?" Horatio asked.

"Sure. In my office, right this way." They all headed for the small office in the back of the hangar. "You know it's weird, Danny didn't even come back for his cell phone."

Horatio stopped in his tracks. "His cell phone? Why would you have his cell phone?"

"Well, like I said, I thought he was an OK guy," Glenn offered. "I dropped my phone out on the ramp, and a damn fuel truck ran over it. Dan offered to let me use his for the rest of the day. I'm always on the phone, tracking down parts. I got myself a new phone the next day, and set Danny's aside for him, but he's never come back for it." Glenn picked up the shiny blue cell phone from the edge of his desk and handed it to the tall red-headed Lieutenant. Horatio eyed the phone, and a strong pang of guilt stabbed at him.

"Tell me Mr. DeMarco, do you know a Cassandra Cordell?"

"Oh, Cassie, heck yeah," Glenn said cheerfully. "I talk to her almost every day. Sometimes more than once. Use her company almost exclusively for our parts. Cordell's is the best in the area."

Horatio went quiet. So now the phone calls were explained. And Cassie had been telling him the truth.

Glenn wrote down the address he had for Daniel.

"Here's where he told me to send his check," the man offered, handing over the slip of paper.

"Thank you," Horatio replied. "Frank, let's run this down."

Both men turned and headed for their vehicles.

Ten minutes later, Daniel Trivito's address was surrounded by squad cars.

The take down went smoother than anticipated. Daniel Trivito was arrested and went into custody without a fight.

By the time he was done being booked, the remaining forensic evidence presented had convinced him that cutting a deal was in his best interests, and he promptly gave a full confession.

Case closed. Well… almost…


	4. Chapter 4

*****Chapter 4

Horatio stood staring blankly out at the Miami night from the front window of the station, waging a silent war with himself. His cool, stoic appearance hiding the fact that inside he was beating the living hell out of himself. He replayed the day's events over and over in his mind, and even though the case had been solved and closed quickly, he couldn't find any shred of satisfaction or peace in it. He simply could not shake the image of Cassie's hurt and angry look, and the sight of the woman he so dearly loved speeding away from him, probably out of his life for good. And it was all his fault.

He had acted like such an ass. Sure, he could try and justify his actions by telling himself that he was just following the evidence... but that was a load of crap. He should have known better. He had completely over reacted and had no one but himself to blame. He knew how they felt about each other, how solid their relationship was. How could he have doubted her? Accused her? He had never had any reason to ever distrust her before, why would he suddenly jump to the worst possible conclusion? If that wonderful woman never wanted to see or speak to him again, he would completely deserve it. But even considering that thought made him feel like his heart was being torn from his chest...

Then he heard a familiar lilting southern voice behind him.

"Horatio," Calleigh said softly.

He turned, and saw the petite CSI standing there looking at him with sincere concern.

"What are you still doing here?" she asked. "Shouldn't you be with Cassie?"

Horatio responded with a heavy sigh. "I'm fairly certain that I am the last person she wants to see."

"Don't you think you should let her decide that?" she asked, but was met with only silence.

"OK," Calleigh said gently, "so you made a mistake, and you were wrong. It happens. To everybody."

"Not to me," he answered back, his voice uncharacteristically quiet. "Not like this."

She paused, wondering what she could say that could help. It made her heart break to see him look so defeated, so burdened with the heavy guilt of his actions possibly driving away his only true love.

"You know what?" She continued, "Cassie does not expect you to be perfect. Only you do. That woman knows you, and she accepts you, for who you are and what you do. And she loves you, absolutely unconditionally. You know how rare that it, right?"

More silence as Horatio's head bowed slightly, staring at the floor.

Calleigh pressed on, thinking it was time to get just a little bit tough. "And so help me, Horatio Caine, if you don't get the hell out of here right now, and go find her, and do whatever it is you have to do to make everything right," she paused, and assumed her strongest policewoman stance. "Then I will shoot you myself."

Horatio's eyes looked up from the floor, and saw the fierce determined look on her face. Calleigh's eyes locked onto his for a moment. "Go," she said firmly.

Horatio sighed, and gave her a sideways tired half-grin. He knew she was right. He had to go find Cassie and make it all right… if she would have him… if it wasn't too late…

"Thank you," he said sincerely. "I guess I'll see you Monday."

"Yes you will," she replied, smiling brightly to herself as Horatio quickly strode past her and headed for the parking garage.

He was thankful for the push. He now had only one single focus. Cassie. And he was going to do whatever he had to do to make damn sure he didn't lose her…


	5. Chapter 5

*****Chapter 5

Cassie had been a mess since she had returned home from the station. She held it together long enough to call her office and tell them that she wasn't feeling well, and she was taking the rest of the day off. Since it was Friday, she said she would see them all on Monday and they could knock off a little early if everything was caught up. Once that was done, she shut off her phone, sank onto the sofa, and burst into tears.

_"Don't lie to me..." _ The memory screamed through her thoughts. She couldn't believe that the man she loved had actually spoken those words to her. It made no sense. His attitude didn't make any sense. Nothing made any sense. Phone calls from a murderer? What the hell was he talking about? What was even more upsetting was how coldly Horatio had treated her. Like some lowlife criminal. How could he be so hurtful?

She knew how intense Horatio could get when he was working a case. She had seen him get fully engrossed in every detail, working like a fiend to catch the bad guys. But that intensity and that glacial stare of his had never been directed at her. For the first time since she had met him, she had actually felt a stab of fear. She couldn't deny it. For the short time that she had been the target of his interrogation, she had been afraid of him.

_Think. Phone calls._ She swiped away the tears in her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to clear her head. She methodically began to re-think the last couple of days, tried to think of anything that was odd or out of place. But she came up with nothing. And the more she thought about it, the more confused and angry she became. It was giving her a headache.

She wanted to go demand some answers from Horatio, wanted to scream at him, wanted to smack the shit out of him. The trust she had in him was now out the window. But something told her that he had to have a reason for what he had done and how he had treated her. She decided to wait it out, and see if the man would come to his senses. There had to be an explanation. She loved him enough to give him the benefit of the doubt, even though that was apparently way more than he had given her today.

She felt exhausted and drained. Daylight was dwindling outside, and instead of looking forward to a wonderful weekend with the man she adored, she was sitting alone in the growing darkness of her living room, and had no idea why. She grabbed the throw blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped herself up in it, trying to shut out the world.

A short time later, she heard a knock on the door. Her heart leapt for a split second as she thought that it might be Horatio, but then she remembered that he had a key. Her spirits sank_. Ignore it_, she thought_. I don't want to see anyone. Ignore it. They'll go away._

But the knock came again. And again.

Irritated, she finally tossed off the blanket and launched herself up from the sofa, throwing fear and caution to the wind. Damned if she was going to be intimidated any more today... especially not in her own home. She stomped across the room, mumbling curses under her breath, and yanked open the front door. And there stood Horatio Caine.

They stared at each other for a minute, he noted her red-rimmed eyes and felt a severe pang of guilt and heartbreak knowing he was the cause of her tears.

She changed her stance slightly in the doorway, took a deep breath, and put one hand on her hip. He didn't look at all threatening, he looked like the Horatio she knew and loved. But she still didn't want to let her guard down, she didn't want to appear vulnerable.

"You lose your key?" She asked, eyeing him slightly sideways and trying to be tough, but unable to completely hide the hurt she was feeling.

Horatio looked down at the ground for a moment. "No," he said quietly. He looked back up at her, his eyes soft and disarming. "I wanted to know if I was still welcome... after my... behavior today."

Cassie dropped her strong stance. How could she say no? "Of course you are," she said, stepping back and opening the doorway for him to enter.

Horatio stepped inside, and Cassie had no sooner eased the door shut and turned to face him than he was right in front of her, softly holding her face in both of his hands, wiping away the tear tracks with his thumbs.

"I'm sorry, Cassie" he whispered. "I was wrong sweetheart."

He gazed down at her openly, no guard up, no reservations, no defenses. He wanted to open his soul to her. Show her how much he loved her, how much he needed her. "I was so wrong. I never should have doubted you. I never should have hurt you like that. And it will never, ever happen again."

The tortured, vulnerable look in his eyes made her heart absolutely melt.

"And I will do anything to make up for it..." he gazed deeply into her soft brown eyes, "…I love you."

The last bit of self-control she had been clinging to instantly vanished, and a wave of fresh tears coursed down her face. She reached for him, and crushed herself against his chest, burying herself in his embrace.

Horatio closed his eyes and held her tightly, elated to have her back in his arms again.

"Shhh, sweetheart," he whispered, "Please don't cry. It's going to be OK…"

But he knew his quest for forgiveness was not going to be won with just a few heartfelt words and a hug. He had hurt her, and damaged their relationship. And it was up to him to do whatever she wanted to make it right…


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Cassie just stayed in Horatio's embrace and quietly cried for a little while. Being in his arms had always been such a warm, wonderful, safe and loving place, and she still felt that. Hearing his heartfelt apology had made her feel better, but she was still a whirling mess of confusion, frustration and doubt. She slowly pulled herself away from her lover's chest and took a long shaky deep breath. She swiped at the tears and looked up at him.

"You," she said still sniffling a little, "have got some _serious_ explaining to do."

Horatio nodded and glanced down at the floor, then back up to her again. "Yes I do." He answered honestly.

She gently pulled away from him, and walked back over to the sofa. She curled up at one end, making it clear that there would be no more cuddling right now. She wrapped her arms around her knees and looked back at him expectantly.

Horatio swallowed hard, walked over and sat at the opposite end of the couch. He was quiet for a moment, unsure of where to even start. Cassie finally broke the awkward silence.

"So who the hell _is_ Daniel… Triva… whoever…?" She asked. "Is he really a murderer?"

"Trivito," he answered, purely out of police habit, then moved on quickly. "And yes, he killed someone. He's in custody, we have a full confession, and he'll be spending a long time behind bars."

"Horatio, I don't… know him," she stammered, once again on the verge of frustrated tears, "I don't know who he is, I've never heard his name…"

He felt the pangs of guilt stab at his heart again. "I know, sweetheart," Horatio interrupted her. "Thompson Aviation, at the airport. He let Glenn use his cell phone, and…"

This time it was Cassie who interrupted him. "Glenn is involved?" she asked, her voice rising.

"No, no, no… not at all. Glenn actually helped close the case," he replied. "Glenn had nothing to do with any crime. He just had an accident with his cell phone. Daniel had been working there for a few weeks, and let Glenn borrow his phone. He called you looking for parts."

Cassie thought for a minute, then huffed and shook her head. "Glenn and cell phones," she said with a wry half smile. "Like oil and water. He's _always_ dropping his phone. Into the parts cleaner, over the side of his boat, into the bottom of a barbeque grill. One time, he actually had to do an entire engine rebuild for free when his cell phone got sucked into the air intake of a Citation jet…" She paused. "What happened this time?"

"He said he dropped it on the ramp, and it got run over by a fuel truck."

Cassie actually laughed softly. "Yeah, that is _classic_ Glenn…"

But the humor quickly faded from her face.

"OK, so… that explains the phone records," she said, keeping her voice even and looking directly at him. "But that does not explain how you could be so… cold towards me… especially in the middle of a police station. Or... why you would think that I would _ever_ lie to you. I don't understand that at all."

"I… over-reacted…" he said, completely sincere.

"But… Horatio," Cassie said quickly, "You _know_ me. The entire time we've been together, I've _never_ lied to you. About anything. I mean… why…" she stammered, "how… how could… I would never do that…" she sighed, frustrated. "I would never do anything to hurt you."

A brief silence blanketed the room. Then Horatio pulled his gaze from her, leaned forward, and resting his arms on his knees, stared down at the floor. He closed his eyes and steadied himself.

"Cassie," he said, haltingly, "I have not had… very good luck… with women…" he took a deep breath.

She realized that he was trying to share something deep and probably very difficult for him, so she stayed quiet and let him take his time. He seemed lost in a turmoil of thought for a few minutes, but then he spoke. His voice was soft, but heavy with sadness.

"I lost a wife… to a murderer," he continued slowly, "I've been… manipulated… to try and get information for the evening news… and… toyed with… by someone willing to make deals that let criminals go free."

Horatio put one hand up and gently rubbed his forehead. "And then there's Julia…" he paused, unable to come up with any words to actually describe that entire train wreck of a relationship. Taking yet another deep breath, he forged on. "My son, Kyle, he's a really great kid. But I've only just met him. For 16 years, I never knew…" he went quiet again for a moment.

"Every time I loved, every time I trusted, it always ended… ended badly." His voice broke, betraying a mere hint of the massive bridled emotions behind his words.

Cassie felt her heart melting. In the months that she and Horatio had been involved, they had talked, sometimes for hours, about their past, their highs and lows, their successes and failures. But hearing this outpouring of his soul really brought it all into clear perspective for her. Now she understood. She understood his deepest fears, and why he had over-reacted.

All of her frustration, anger, doubt, everything… it all just melted away. She uncoiled herself and moved towards the man she loved so dearly.

Horatio turned and looked over at her when he heard her moving towards him. She put her hand against his cheek and gazed into his crystal blue eyes. She saw the raw, swirling emotions pooled there, and it only made her realize how much she truly loved him.

"Well this," she said softly, "is _not_ going to end badly. It's not going to end at all."

She leaned in and kissed him sweetly.

He reached for her, and pulled her closer to him. He kissed her back, but almost tentatively. He wanted so much to just sweep her into his arms, smother her in kisses, and ravage her with passionate lovemaking until they both couldn't see straight… but this wasn't about what _he_ wanted. This was about making amends, it was about whatever _she_ wanted…

She sensed his hesitation. So, taking the lead, she eased him back into the sofa, and swung her leg over and straddled him, settling herself onto his lap. She slowly ran both her hands through his light copper hair, knowing what a sensual effect that always had on him. She watched his eyes close briefly, momentarily lost in the feeling. Her hands drifted down to the base of his neck, her fingers still toying with his hair, and she felt his hands move up along her legs and rest just above her hips.

"You're a wonderful man, Horatio Caine," she said lovingly, gazing into those gorgeous sky blue eyes once again. "And I love you with all my heart."

She leaned into him and kissed him again, more sensually than before. And this time, his response was _not_ tentative. One hand stayed on her hip, the other wandered up her back and wound it's way into her long wavy chestnut brown hair, pulling her even closer to him and deepening their sultry kiss. She slid her tongue into his warm inviting mouth, and he readily met her advances with a growing hunger.

She pushed her open hips down against him, and could feel his arousal, and she heard him moan at the sensation… that glorious, deep, low moan of his that she so loved to hear. It made her flush with desire and need.

She pulled up and broke the bond of their fiery kiss, both of them breathing heavily. "Take me to bed," she said huskily. He was only happy to comply. In one smooth motion, he wrapped his arms around her lower back, pulling her tightly to him, and stood up. She circled her legs around him, anchoring herself to him, her arms hugging his shoulders and her face nuzzling his neck as he headed for the bedroom…

**Oh, don't hate me! I HAD to stop here… The next chapter is being written right now, but needs a little more time… it will be up soon!**

**Thanks for your reviews… please write them… they keep everything going! -NiteJasmine**


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